Think I will check it out. Love the Hookworms album, had never heard of them but that first track is stunning and the rest of the record holds up very well.
Gets better with every play, taken as a whole piece it's stunningly good. Nice to see artists like Furman and Superchunk stepping up with some anger, spit and tunes. Never heard Furman before this, but I will be exploring his work once this one wears off. His attention to detail and the snapshot descriptions that make a song huge really get under your skin. The fact that he's a queer non gender identifier makes me wish I has someone like this to listen to when I was young, gay and afraid.
The album by Dream Wife is a blast. Stripped-down rock-and-roll with a power-pop beat and raw punk guitars like sandpaper. Nice uncluttered, bare-bones sound to the record. More exciting British rock, following the Desperate Journalist and Wolf Alice records from last year. (That said, the video looks like something you'd see on UHF television late on a Friday or Saturday night back in the '80s.)
Another fun British rock album is Marmozets's "Knowing What You Know Now". They have been getting play on Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 show. It is more like a commercial hard-rock album, more highly-charged and intense-sounding, with that kind of slick, trebly sound where it sounds like all the vocals and instruments are up front in the mix. But they've got songs that know from instant gratification: Marmozets, "Major System Error"
I think Ezra Furman's new, "edgy" direction is really lacking in hooks. I liked his last one, though:
Ireland's Brigid Mae Power released a new album last week, and it's rather good. Stirring folk tunes with a full, lovely sound and commanding voice.
The beautiful new Loma debut record should make a showing here too ... Loma. Self titled 2018 Sub Pop lp
This one's taking up a lot of my headspace lately. It's such a strong album leadoff track that I'm finding myself regularly clicking on the "Semicircle" album on Tidal just to hear "Mayday", only to end up sticking through the entire album.
Listening to Alela Diane's Cusp, and it's an excellent piano-driven folk/pop ballad album - beautifully written and sung too.
I was a bit uncertain of this guy when I heard his debut a couple of years ago. Then, I saw him at Womadelaide and was blown away. I was blown away again when I heard his Newport set from last year. Finally, I heard this new album playing in my local record store the other day and was, yep...blown away. This is a seriously excellent record. He's really channeling Scott Walker, Orbison and Nina Simone at the moment. Huge talent.
The Wood Bros. One Drop of Truth : The Wood Brothers' 'One Drop of Truth' Wins With Intimacy and Inclusion (ALBUM REVIEW) - Glide Magazine Julian Lage Modern Lore Julian Lage: Modern Lore
I'm liking the new (and last) album from Burnt Ones. The group's early music is similar to Ty Segall, but they grew increasingly more removed from the garage rock scene with each album. Last Draft in Different Rooms shows off the band experimenting heavily with synths, sound effects, and industrial music to create unusual-but-listenable results. Plus, it's pay-what-you-want on Bandcamp. Last Draft in Different Rooms, by Burnt Ones
I'm looking forward to the forthcoming Sons of Kemet LP, Your Queen is a Reptile! “My Queen Is Harriet Tubman” by Sons of Kemet Review | Pitchfork The first single off their Impulse! Records debut, Your Queen Is a Reptile, “My Queen Is Harriet Tubman” is an incendiary blast of high-energy Caribbean soca rhythms and skronking jazz uplift. Skinner and Hick provide the roiling backbeat as Hutchings’ saxophone moves in tandem with Cross, trading short lines. But as the doubletime beat continues to push, Hutchings weaves between the drums and tuba and then steps a little higher, his horn roving around the raucous rhythms. As his solo begins to take flight, his sax playing almost emulates Dizzee’s guttural barks circa Boy in Da Corner, each squawk electrifying the song. At the track’s thrilling climax, Sons of Kemet make clear a continuum wherein the century-old jazz tradition, soca, and grime can all shout together.
First spin sounds very good. Insane that an album like this comes in an edition of 500. A label like Warp, Domino or Kranky should sign them. So they might finally get some recognition.
Just got my copy in yesterday via DHL from Norman Records in the UK, didn't get a chance to listen last night, but I'm sure it will be featured heavily on my turntable over the next few days Got it with a copy of that Anika and Shackleton Behind the Glass record from last year, so that should be fun too.
This sounds interesting. I'll be looking for it. I grabbed the two earlier albums plus this single on Tidal to give a listen to.
Room Inside the World by Ought is very good. Interesting mixture of post punk, indie rock, new wave and God knows what else. Very much worth checking out.
I really like this Ought record. They toned down the punk and got a little spacey. "Desire" is a knockout tune.
